By Ed Dybicz
Special to The Courier (2001)
The answer is found in the documents kept by the Swedish Holstein Family relating to Jonathan Roberts of Upper Merion who served as Congressman in 1811 and United States Senator in 1814.
It appears that many of Robert’s letters had “Robertsville” written on them. Records also show that Roberts lived at the “Swamp Vrass Farm” in Upper Merion.
The name “Swamp Vrass” has puzzled many historians. The Roberts were Welsh, but nothing was ever found to associate the name of Swamp Vrass. In 2,000 or more letters of Jonathan Roberts and members of his family, now in the library of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, some of them are dated to be written at Swamp Vrass, Robertsville, Upper Merion, Reesville and King of Prussia. In the examination of the letters and old maps of Montgomery County, it is readily determined that all of the above mentioned names were designated to show the same locality.
Records reveal that area around the intersection of Gulph and Swedesford Road (now DeKalb Pike), had a post office opened in 1820 called Reesville. This name was replaced in 1829 with Upper Merion, and in 1850, with the name King of Prussia after the nearby inn.
Sen. Roberts was very active during this period and therefore it is not surprising that many of his letters had Reesville, Upper Merion and King of Prussia dated on them.
Jonathan Roberts died in 1854 at the age of 83 years. He is buried in a private cemetery at Red Hill which is across from the Valley Forge Hilton on DeKalb Pike near the Valley Forge Shopping Center. In his will, Roberts directed the cemetery be for the “use of the rich or poor of all races”. There are over 150 graves in the cemetery and most of the stones bear only initials.
Circled area marks the general area of Swamp Vrass Farm, the home of Jonathan Roberts, the general area unofficially referred to as Robertsville.
Roberts Cemetery located on Red Hill, Upper Merion Township
